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Seating a P26570R16 2003 Chevy Suburban4 x4

668 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  wdc1
I do not recommend anyone to do this. I am only sharing my experience.

I had a hole in the sidewall so removed the old tire, replaced it with a new tire and tried everything(soap, silicone, heavy duty strap, rubber hammer and others and I can't remember to seat it. I am a home owner and not a mechanic but work on cars.

I then went outside sat the new tire and rim on the old tire, added starter fluid in spots around the rim, but not too much and it seated. Better to put too little than too much until you can gauge how much starter fluid will push the bead in place. You do not want a fireball. I did have to try three times since the bead was not seated but sealed enough so starter fluid could not get in the rim. Just had to pull out the rim a little. Just remember this fireball that occurs in your tire goes out once seated due to lack of oxygen but the tire will unseat unless you immediately fill it up with air. Hot flame/air expands, seats tire, then the hot air cools reducing the expansion and acts like a vacumn. Hence counteract with air. A compressor.
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Guys, a whole lot safer idea is to use a ratchet strap, you know the kind, the ones we use to tie down things in the bed.

Wrap the strap around the tire, hook the hooks together and ratchet the strap tight, then go a little tighter. This will pull the thread of the tire into the side walls, pushing the side wall and bead onto the wheel rim when air is applied to tire valve.
The idea is to get the tire and wheel tight enough that when air is added through the tire valve the seal will hold air and the air pressure will pop the tire onto the wheel.

Years ago (maybe still) tire guys had a strap that was wrapped around the tire thread, part of the strap was hollow and could be expanded like a balloon with and air hose (it had a schrader valve installed). It would squeeze the tire enough that it would pop on to the wheel when air was added to the tire.
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